2008 Lincoln laureates announced

Tuesday

Six Illinoisans who have excelled in law, business, education and social service will become laureates of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Monday.

Six Illinoisans who have excelled in law, business, education and social service will become laureates of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, Gov. Rod Blagojevich announced Monday.

The title is the highest honor for outstanding achievement the state bestows to persons who were born or have resided in Illinois.

“These individuals honor us with their achievements and make us proud to be Illinoisans. Their scholarship, leadership and contributions to our world make them giants in their fields,” Blagojevich said in a news release.

The 2008 laureates include:

*David Herbert Donald, one of the world’s foremost Abraham Lincoln scholars, two-time Pulitzer prize winner and the author of more than 20 books.

*Judge Joel Flaum of the 7th Circuit U.S Court of Appeals in Chicago.

*William Norwood, who was the first African-American quarterback on the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale football team and the first African-American pilot to fly for United Airlines.

*Kenneth Shaw, a retired chancellor of Syracuse University who spent 30 years as a university president in Wisconsin, Illinois and New York.

*Thomas Siebel, founder, chairman and CEO of Siebel Systems, which merged with Oracle Corp. in 2006 to form one of the world’s leading software companies.

*Irl Engelhardt, one of the nation’s most successful business leaders and former chairman of Peabody Energy. Engelhardt formed the Future of Pinckneyville Foundation Inc. and has made contributions to area schools in his southern Illinois hometown.

Academy officials will present honorees with the Order of Lincoln Medallion at a ceremony April 26 at SIUC.